On May 4th, I waited by my computer when the online booking of Milford Track started (each Great Walk has a different start time for booking). It's one way, one direction only, hut only (no camping allowed). You have to book all 3 huts (NZ$54 * 3, free for kids up to 17 year-old). Boat transport is NZ$85 + NZ$47. Bus transport is also available, which I didn't need to use. So almost NZ$300 if you have your own land transportation. I was told that the whole season this year was fully booked within 90 minutes of the start of booking window. It's so popular, maybe because 1) it's the first Great Walk (used to be guided walk only); 2) limited number: 40 per day; 3) it's hut only - you are in the same company for 4 days, makes it a camaraderie experience; 4) great scenery as with Routeburn and Kepler tracks in the Fjordland (I've talked to people who've done all these 3 walks, and none has a favorite).
Day 1, 2:30pm. Milford Track starts with a boat ride from Te Anau Down (20 minutes drive from Te Anau) to the northern tip of Te Anau Lake at Glade Wharf, where the trail head is. I'm the only planned passenger on the 2:30 boat (last of the day) which I booked when I booked the track. Due to a last minute cancelation, 4 other people came to the same boat (an Oregon couple Greg and Dawn, who happen to live in the same small town as mine. Their young niece Eleda from Pennsylvania. Alon from Israeli who is on a work holiday visa). Captain Collin was very pleased to have them, without whom he'd be losing money ferrying me across the lake. He showed us the little island where McKinnon drowned. Bird Tui by some red fuchsia, and a lot about Maori's belligerence and no nonsense. I can make out only ~3/4 what he was saying, due to the accent. 
The lake seemed to have only one foot of wave, but felt very choppy when the boat was going fast (my butt constant being jolted out of my seat). Collins said, the wave can get to 12', and his passengers could be found lying on the floor vomiting. Maybe that's why the first hut is so close to the TH. When we landed at Glade Wharf over an hour later, we could see the comparison between our water taxi and the big boat guided walk folks use.
The first 5Km track is flat. A swing bridge after Glade House (guided walk, with ensuite bath), nice setting on a big meadow in front of Clinton River. 
The flat trail continues by the river, again mostly gravel. Mostly in the woods, with only occasional view of the river and the mountains across. 
A side track signed for wetland is a worthwhile short detour: interpretive signs, boardwalk and best view of the day. Not too boggy. View of Mt Sentinel and Mt Anau. Red peat moss and wire rush hold water, turpentine scrub (Dracopyllum oliveri) contains chemicals in the long grassy leaves that are fould and poisonous to leaf eaters. One of the signs lists these carnivorous plants in the blog: Sundews (Drosera) with sticky hairs o the leaves, Bladderwort (Utricularia monanthos) with bladder-like trap on its roots and delicate purple flowers. I saw a few beautiful blue sun orchid (Thelymitra venosa which open opens in full sun, and has the ability to self-pollinate in poor weather without opening.Clinton Hut at 232m is completely in the woods. No view. 2 huts, total 40 bunk beds with mattress, a separate kitchen with running water, sink, dish detergent, burners with gas. All on a wooden platform with tables and benches outside of the huts (rarely used). Doors are always closed to keep the flies out. Boots not allowed indoors. The toilet (yet another structure) has 3 sinks, 3 flush toilets, TP, hooks. So posh! It's hard to imagine what the huts for guided walk are.
I arrived at 5:15, and saw a sign for a 5pm ranger led walk. So I dumped my pack on an unused bed, and hurried to join the crowd. Plant talk: Odd Leaf Orchid, Greenhood Orchid, Lancewood with ever elongated leaves as they get older, a few types of moss and ferns (like Drooping Spleenwort), 3 types of beech (Silver, Red, Mountain). Was fun, as long as you keep fanning yourself from the flies. We also saw a metal pole: remnant of the telephone service in the old days. 8pm is hut talk. More about the surroundings and traps for rat/stoat/possum, camp etiquette, what we'll see tomorrow (Blue Duck). Ross gave me a sheet to give to the next cabin host.At 10pm, lights go off in the bunk huts, but on in the kitchen, where some snorers are encouraged to move to. I went to check out the glow worm site next to the junction. Sure there they are under up-turned trees. Even though it's still bright enough for me to walk without headlamp, I can see them glow.
Day 2. A warm night for my 45°F bag. Woke up by the Koreans who were talking, about 6:10am. So I got up. Started out just before 7am, one Auckland lady ahead of me. We passed each other a number of times. I stopped by the glow worm site, and saw nothing of course. The trail continues in the Clinton River valley. Mile 7 is a nice meadow. Mile marker is posted at each mile, another remnant of the old guiding days. Short lived, back in the trees sooner than I hoped. 
Soon it's Hirere Falls, a lunch hut for guided walk folks only. Since they are a couple of KMs behind us, I went around to check it out. Quite nice, good view. But you cannot sit still at this elevation for long, due to the sandflies. 
An hour later (at mile 10) is a bigger meadow titled Prairie on my map. Small yellow buttercups start popping up everywhere (an invasive). Before that is a short side trail to Hidden Lake and a little waterfall, underwhelming. Prairie Lake is slightly bigger, also a small waterfall. A shelter with good view. 
Saw lots of robins and tomtit. Saw 2 rangers working on trail, and gave Ross' note to Laura. Another hour later is Pompolona Hut for guided walk. Again, nice grey building, nice setting.In the last opening, saw a blue duck Ross was talking about yesterday. Many little flowers.
I and the Auckland lady arrived at Mintaro Hut (600m, just shy of mile 14) around 12:30, more than 2 hours before the next group. I had plenty time to take photos of the pristine huts. Single hut, 2 stories. The Koreans arrived at 5pm. The Israeli arrived after 5:30. I washed all my dirty clothes and hung them on wash lines, which is a bit too high. Tie my shoes and hung around the table leg. Spent the rest of the afternoon reading and renaming my photos.
There's a small lake (or 2 connecting ponds) and a light green creek, 2 minutes further on the main trail. So I changed into sandals and hoping for a dip. Very pretty area, towered by steep mountains on all sides. Water is freezing. Saw a family of 4 Wekas. I encountered one parent first. He walked up to me, and poked on my left foot! There's a helipad in the marsh next to the creek!Dinner time is bustling. I'm stunned to see how much food and cooking gear people brought. No wonder they are slow. The Iranian brought lentil cans. He's in the second group, not bad for a heavy load. Alon brought a huge pot about 12 cups, and cooked pasta. The Koreans cooked ramen noodles with multiple pots, cups and a tea kettle, but don't have matches to light the stove. The Kiwis brought ultra pasteurized milk, boiled egg, uncooked rice, flour, fresh vegetables, tuber ware. However, only the Koreans and Americans brought hiking poles.
7:45pm, hut talk. Afterwards Laura lent me a flower book. As sun set, Alon lit a bunch of candles, and wrote in his thick notebook. I walked to the helipad for the last ray of sun leaving the tip of the mountain.
Day 3. Warm starry night. However the sky is a narrow strip. Luckily the milky way lies in the strip.
I got up in the morning and couldn't find my boots. By the time I located them, I saw why. A Kea had a go at my left boot. Chewed it up good, and almost flew away with its insole (which was torn to almost half). Someone rescued my boots and insole and hung them up on the top rail under the roof, where all the boots were. I learnt my lesson.
Best day of the track, going over McKinnon Pass (1154m), which has the only view high enough to see multiple peaks in all directions. Shortly by 9am, I left my pack by the Memorial (at ~mile 16), and headed over to Hart Mountain, with my water bottle and hiking stick. I was a bit worried that some Kea would investigate my backpack, since there's no one around. So I moved everything from the outside pockets to the inside. There are wondering footpaths in the flat area, but soon disappeared. As I gained elevation, I could see people slowly coming. I eventually gave up, but it allowed me an extra hour in the highest range of our hike. What a view. By the time I retrieved my backpack, some of the guided folks has arrived. I asked two guides about Hart Mountain, neither had done it or knew anything about it. 
From the monument to the pass proper, it's on the grassy ridge overlooking the Clinton Valley which we spent 2 days and the next valley we'll be heading towards. Multiple little ponds, now shining blue, dotted this half mile heaven. 
At the pass proper, a wide shelter separated into two entrances, one for us, and one for guided walk clients. Ours has big windows in 3 directions, with picture perfect views. 
Even the loo has great view down to Clinton Valley. Best toilet paper along the track, since it's shared with the guided walk. 
A weka was walking around checking food scrapes. A perfect place to rest, which I'd prefer to sit outside, rather than inside the shelter, since there's no sandfly here. Hard to decide which direction to face when you sit. Lots of various types of mountain daisies with double layers of petal, some lovely Mt Cook Lily too.
More and more people arrived. I headed down after a good 3 hours meandering around the pass. After a few zigzags, the trail gets a bit steep and rocky, following Roaring Burns tumbling down. Nice cascades. Metal stairs at times.
Quintin Hut (guided walk) sits at around mile 20. There's a sizable shelter for us, with benches, and hot water (tea, coffee, sugar, powered milk in container: you just need a spoon). Had some milked tea and rested my tired knees. 
Then, left my pack there, headed to Sutherland falls. At 580m over 3 cascades, is labeled as the tallest in New Zealand. At the first swing bridge, 2 blue ducks. The waterfall is a 45 min walk, with a side track to an old (replica?) beech hut used in the old days. You'll get wet at the end of the trail, facing the powerful plunge.I got to Dumpling Hut (125m) around 4:40. Surprised to find only a handful of people. 4 buildings. Not much of a view. Has igniter built-in on some burners, like the first hut. I walked to the so-called swimming hole: a creek. Too cold for me. Tons of flies. At 8pm, hut talk by Ian. Rain storm was in the forecast this evening, and will continue. We were told that the first boat out will arrive before 2pm, and ferries off people as the boat is filled. On the wall, a chart of the distance and walking time for tomorrow's few point. In the hut, being the last hut, there's a drop box for non-perishable food (to donate to hikers who are trapped by flood).
Day 4. Rain, not strong but steady. There's no need to start early today. At 8am, I hiked into the rain, and the flat 18Km in sandals and umbrella (I'm the only one). Lots of water, good for waterfalls. However, the visibility is so pour, sometimes I had to look for a waterfall to where I heard the roaring sound. Saw Paradise Shelduck. There's an upside down Bell Rock on the short spur to McKay Falls (+4 miles), that you can crawl in. After 5.5 miles, there's the Giants Gate, a small shelter and toilet short of Giants Gate Falls, where you view from a swing bridge. I met a small group of day hikers (NZ$100, 2 Japanese and 2 American women) led by a guide who provided hot drinks. They were doing selfie video documenting their trek.
There's a nice waiting shelter (except for a hole on the ceiling) close to the boat dock. There was a boat when I arrived (~12:40), and 7 of us took off shortly. However, I couldn't hold on to my umbrella any more on the boat, which got me quite wet (rain + spray). It's a very small boat, completely open. 10 minutes later, we were dropped of at a fishing dock, and were told to walk towards the main road. Lots of waterfalls everywhere. Just cannot seem them clearly. At the road junction, we were picked up by a bus and it took us to the cruise terminal. THE END.
